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Best Tenor Players

52152 Views 191 Replies 112 Participants Last post by  CaneMutiny
Here a short list of my favorite tenor players, whos maner of playing give me the motivation and want to play endless more and more. Interesting, who are yours favorite tenor players:)

1) Sam 'The Man' Taylor
2) Dennis Marcellino
3) Gato Barbieri
4) Sil Austin
5) Stan Getz

But i dont know why i cant find a plenty of their CDs in dc++!? I've found several issues of Sam Taylor but not much, some more info i've found in ebay, but how i see several cds were issued in asia, may be therefore...
My main sax is tenor.For last time i rent Martin vintage Tenor, i can only guess whats its price:)
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Those seem like good picks for your favorite tenor players. Mine would go like this:

1.) Trane
2.) Brecker
3.) Hank Mobley
4.) Joe Henderson
5.) Stan Getz
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1- Micheal Brecker
2- Pete Christlieb
3- John Coltrane
4- Sonny Rollins
5- Stan Getz

Thats not in any order just the first 5 off the top of my head. I could probably list 20-30 players that I can't put one over the other. Getz had his fluffy tone, Christlieb sound is fat and his phrasing is amazing. Brecker just did things that I'm still trying to understand. You can't throw a rock down jazz lane without hitting a great Tenor sax player. We truly have been blessed with some great players to listen to.
Sonny Rollins
Trane
Hank Mobley
Sonny Stitt
Lester Young
Gene Ammons
Jimmy Forest
Warne Marsh
Joe Henderson
Tina Brooks
Clifford Jordan
Jimmy Heath
Joe Farrell
Steve Grossman
Sal nistico
Junior Cook
Mike Brecker
BoB Berg
Ralph Moore
Billy Pierce
Jerry Bergonzi
George Garzone

for starters
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ppamhk said:
How about Zoot Sims?
Oh God I forgot Zoot and Al Cohn And George Coleman!!!
There are so many good ones....


A somewhat lesser known tenorman is Johnny Griffin. Check out his version of "A Night In Tunesia" On You Tube. It is misspelled there. Search for "Griffin Johnny". Fantastic!
I don't think I can rank any above another I love them all so much. Dexter, Michael Brecker, and Lester Young are probably the 3 I listen to the most and am influenced most by (sort of odd that all 3 of their tones and playing styles are VASTLY different, eh?)

I also love Joe Henderson, Trane, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Stan Getz, Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt, and Jerry Bergonzi are up there too.
I can't believe more people don't put Pete Christlieb on their lists.
Numero UNO: LESTER YOUNG/COLEMAN HAWKINS!!!!!!! Even if only for the fact that you guys wouldnt be blowin the sax if it weren't for Pres and Hawk.

A close second: John Coltrane. There is nothing to be said, the name speaks for itself.

Third: Michael Brecker. I don't care what you think about his music, but his technical facility could not have been rivaled by any player.

Fourth: Sonny Rollins. He embodies the spirit, the voice of jazz. Not to mention that he is a walking anthology of jazz history.

Fifth: Dexter Gordon. I dont know about you guys, but when I think about the tenor, I think Dexter.

Sixth (because I'm not sure where to put him): Steve Marcus. A lot of people haven't really heard of him much, but he had a very unique style and really was a master of the horn.

Honorable mentions: Stan Getz, Joe Henderson, Zoot Sims, and the great Hank Mobley.
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- Jan Garbarek
- John Coltrane
- Stan Getz
- Dewey Redman
- Joshua Redman
It's actually enough for me!
Don Byas
paul gonsalves.

period. ;)
In no particular order, kinda:
Coltrane
Sonny Rollins
Wayne Shorter
Brecker
John Coltrane
Sonny Rollins
Gato Barbieri
Wayne Shorter
Jan Garbarek
Heinz Sauer
Christoph Lauer


:)
This is going to take all day I think...

Al Cohn
Albert Ayler
Antonie Roney
Archie Shepp
Arnette Cobb
Ben Webster
Bert Wilson
Benny Golson
Bill Evans
Bill Ramsey
Billy Harper
Bob Berg
Bob Cooper
Bob Mintzer
Booker Ervin
Boots Randolph
Branford Marsalis
Bud Freeman
Buddy Tate
Carter Jefferson
Charlie ROuse
Charles Gayle
Chris Cheek
Chris Potter
Chris Speed
Chuck Stentz
Clifford Jordan
Coleman Hawkins
David Liebman
David Murray
David S. Ware
Deric Dyer
Dewey Redman
Dexter Gordon
Dino Govoni
Don Lanphere
Don Byas
Donny McCaslin
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
Eddie Harris
Ellery Eskelin
Eric Alexander
Evan Parker
Flip Phillips
Frank Foster
Frank Lowe
Frank Wright
Gene Ammons
George Adams
Gary Thomas
Gato Barbieri
George Coleman
George Garzone
Harold Land
Hank Mobley
Ike Quebec
Illinois Jacquet
Jan Garbarek
James Carter
Jay Thomas
Jerry Bergonzi
Jim Pepper
Jimmy Giuffre
Joe Henderson
Joe Lovano
Joe Maneri
Joe McPhee
John Coltrane
John Gilmore
Johnny Griffin
Jorge Pardo
Joseph Jarman
Joshua Redman
Junior Walker
Karl Denson
Ken Vandermark
King Curtis
Lenny Pickett
Lester Young
Lou Marini
Lucky Thompson
Mel Martin
Michael Brecker
Mike West
Paul Gonsalves
Pee Wee Ellis
Peter Brotzmann
Pharoah Sanders
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Ravi Coltrane
Rick Mandycke
Rick Margitza
Sabir Mateen
Sam Butera
Seamus Blake
Sam Rivers
Sonny Rollins
Sonny Simmons
Sonny Stitt
Stan Getz
Stanley Turrentine
Steve Grossman
Teddy Edwards
Tony Malaby
Wardell Gray
Warne Marsh
Wayne Shorter
Yusef Lateef
Zoot Sims

For starters..
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Swampcabbage said:
This is going to take all day I think...

Al Cohn
Albert Ayler
Antonie Roney
Archie Shepp
Arnette Cobb
Ben Webster
Bert Wilson
Benny Golson
Bill Evans
Bill Ramsey
Billy Harper
Bob Berg
Bob Cooper
Bob Mintzer
Booker Ervin
Boots Randolph
Branford Marsalis
Bud Freeman
Buddy Tate
Carter Jefferson
Charlie ROuse
Charles Gayle
Chris Cheek
Chris Potter
Chris Speed
Chuck Stentz
Clifford Jordan
Coleman Hawkins
David Liebman
David Murray
David S. Ware
Deric Dyer
Dewey Redman
Dexter Gordon
Dino Govoni
Don Lanphere
Don Byas
Donny McCaslin
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis
Eddie Harris
Ellery Eskelin
Eric Alexander
Evan Parker
Flip Phillips
Frank Foster
Frank Lowe
Frank Wright
Gene Ammons
George Adams
Gary Thomas
Gato Barbieri
George Coleman
George Garzone
Harold Land
Hank Mobley
Ike Quebec
Illinois Jacquet
Jan Garbarek
James Carter
Jay Thomas
Jerry Bergonzi
Jim Pepper
Jimmy Giuffre
Joe Henderson
Joe Lovano
Joe Maneri
Joe McPhee
John Coltrane
John Gilmore
Johnny Griffin
Jorge Pardo
Joseph Jarman
Joshua Redman
Junior Walker
Karl Denson
Ken Vandermark
King Curtis
Lenny Pickett
Lester Young
Lou Marini
Lucky Thompson
Mel Martin
Michael Brecker
Mike West
Paul Gonsalves
Pee Wee Ellis
Peter Brotzmann
Pharoah Sanders
Rahsaan Roland Kirk
Ravi Coltrane
Rick Mandycke
Rick Margitza
Sabir Mateen
Sam Butera
Seamus Blake
Sam Rivers
Sonny Rollins
Sonny Simmons
Sonny Stitt
Stan Getz
Stanley Turrentine
Steve Grossman
Teddy Edwards
Tony Malaby
Wardell Gray
Warne Marsh
Wayne Shorter
Yusef Lateef
Zoot Sims

For starters..
It's s'posed to be your fav tenor players, not everyone you've ever heard! ;)
CHARLIE VENTURA.

Arnie Krackowsky.

Odean Pope

STEVE WHITE- oh yea- he's fantastic.

HOw about GATO too?
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